


Rock Lee Week 2018

by Aloneindarknes7



Category: Boruto: Naruto Next Generations, Naruto
Genre: Adopted Children, Amnesia, Angst, Domestic, Father Figures, Future Fic, Gay Male Character, Implied/Referenced Character Death, Long-Distance Relationship, M/M, Post-Naruto Time Skip | Naruto Shippuden, Post-Time Skip, Pre-Time Skip, Team as Family, Trans Male Character
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-28
Updated: 2018-12-01
Packaged: 2019-09-01 13:34:36
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 8,904
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16766167
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Aloneindarknes7/pseuds/Aloneindarknes7
Summary: Each chapter is a different story written for a prompt to celebrate Rock Lee week 2018 on Tumblr. Some fics are longer than other and contain warnings or spoilers at the start of the chapter.





	1. Youth

**Author's Note:**

> Quick note, I always write Lee as trans because that's my headcanon for him. Some fics focus on that, but most don't because he's just living his best life. If that bothers you, find a different fic to read.

There was one day in Lee’s youth that stood out more than any other day. It wasn’t the day that he first met Gai-sensei, although that was certainly a very memorable day in his life. It was a summer day that he would never forget. 

Lee had been training with Gai-sensei when his eternal rival had appeared out of the trees. Gai-sensei had of course challenged his rival to test their skills, but his rival had complained that it was too hot. But Gai-sensei, always quick on his feet, then suggested that they compete in the water to help cool off. Gai-sensei suggested a contest to see who could hold their breath the longest and asked Lee to officiate for them. Lee was thrilled to be included in any way to help Gai-sensei.

When they all reached the edge of the water, Gai-sensei stripped down to his boxers and his rival had followed his example. That was when the day became memorable. When Lee looked at Kakashi’s boxers and binder, Lee felt his heartrate speed up. He opened his mouth and gasped before he could stop himself.

Kakashi turned to look at Lee as he dropped his shirt. He titled his head as his eye curled with a smile. “I can help you get one, when you’re older.”

“I greatly appreciate that, Kakashi-san.” Lee bowed deeply at his waist.

Kakashi waved his hand. “Always so formal,” he muttered as he stuck his toe in the water. “Hm, that does feel nice.”

“Come on, rival, the water’s fine! Just jump in. I’m ready to test my lungs against yours!” Gai-sensei hollered.

“I’m coming, I’m coming,” Kakashi eased his way into the water. “Are you going to join us, Lee?”

“Well, I,” Lee felt embarrassed for a moment but then he glanced again at Kakashi’s binder. He smiled and nodded as he removed his clothes to his own boxers and the tight tank top he always wore under his clothes. “I’m ready to officiate!” Lee declared as he splashed into the water.

Kakashi and Gai both smiled at the young boy as Lee counted down for them to begin their competition. Gai-sensei lost the challenge that day, but he confided in Lee that the day still felt like a win for him, even as he walked 500 laps around the village on his hands.


	2. Future

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: there is mentioning of dead characters, but it's a "they died happily of old age" situation and not their actual death is not written about.

It was another beautiful morning in Konohagakure. Lee could hear the birds chirping outside of his window as he slowly woke up. He had always been a heavy sleeper and that hadn’t changed as he had gotten older. Sitting up, he placed the palm of his hands against the lower center of his back and heard the pop of his spine as he straightened up. He stood up and then began his morning ritual of stretching. 

His joints creaked and complained as he went through the movements, forcing the blood to circulate throughout his whole body a lot quicker than it had while he had been asleep during the night. It felt good to work his body’s pain away. 

When his body felt limber once more, he went into the bathroom and went through his hygiene routine. Bodily functions, a quick wash down, dressing into his usual green outfit, brushing his hair and teeth, and giving himself a bright smile and Good Guy pose in the mirror. 

Lee wandered out into the kitchen. It was just as he had left it the night before. Metal was currently away on a mission which meant he only had to make a small bowl of oatmeal for himself. He mixed in some berries and chopped up a banana to add some natural sugar to the otherwise dull grain. 

Once breakfast was eaten and the dishes cleaned, Lee went outside into the sunny morning. He smiled as he took his usual path down to the memorial and graveyard. He went into a little shop first, saying his usual greeting to the shopkeeper as he bought some flowers and incense to burn. He exchanged small talk as he paid for his items before continuing his way to the outskirts of the village. 

He spent some time in front of the memorial, saying prayers and giving his thanks to the names he knew carved in the stone as he lit the incense. Then he went to the graveyard. He placed flowers on the graves and spent some time dusting off the stones and moving the older, decaying flowers elsewhere. During a time of peace and prosperity, there were more people buried in the graveyard and less names added to the stone. Lee was thankful for this. It gave him a place to sit down and talk with Gai-sensei. As he sat by Gai-sensei’s gravestone, he talked about his son and family. He updated Gai-sensei on what was happening in town. He told his teacher how much he missed him and how he hoped he was making his teacher proud. He knew Gai-sensei wasn’t lonely, not with Kakashi’s gravestone right next to his own. Many of the villagers had wanted to give the Rokudaime a bigger burial site, but he had listed in his will that he wanted the exact same treatment as Gai. He didn’t want to outshine his rival, not even in death. 

After visiting his other friends’ graves and bidding Gai-sensei and Kakashi-sensei goodbye, Lee went back home for lunch. When he finished his meal, he went out to the gardens and practiced his breathing with some meditation. He did a few yoga exercises that his body could still accomplish and enjoyed the sun shining down at him during the midday. 

Lee strolled into town again to finish up some errands, saying hello to those that he knew along the way. He stopped by the hospital and talked with Sakura. Sarada was also visiting her mom and asked if Lee wanted help carrying his groceries home. Lee insisted on doing it himself and left the two to enjoy their family time alone. 

When he arrived home, Lee began to prepare dinner and turned on his computer. He dialed Gaara, catching him also preparing his meal. The two talked for hours as they cooked together. Gaara had seen Metal, as the boy had stopped in Suna on his way home from his mission. He would be back in Konoha tomorrow which is why Lee had bought all his favorites in the marketplace to make him a welcome home meal. Gaara enjoyed his retirement from being Kazekage but he was still involved with many decisions and usually kept himself busy in the morning sitting in on meetings.

Lee also had the opportunity to talk with Shinki as he arrived home. It was wonderful to see how well the boy had grown up under Gaara’s influence. Lee and Gaara said goodbye, promising to talk again tomorrow, and Lee finished his meal. He was thankful for the new technology making it a lot easier for him and Gaara to speak with each other. It used to take so long writing letters back and forth with each other. Now he could speak with Gaara and had the opportunity to see him. Even in their older ages, Gaara’s hair was still a deep red and it always made Lee happy to see Gaara’s smiles. 

Lee ate his dinner in the living room, watching an action movie he had seen before as background noise to his meal. When the movie was over, Lee stretched out on the couch with a book. He woke himself up when the book smacked him in the face. Then he began his nighttime ritual, which was very similar to his morning routine.

As he crawled into bed, Lee thought about his peaceful day and looked forward to his son returning soon. He was glad that his future turned out the way it did.


	3. Birthday/Family

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I combined today’s prompt with day 7’s prompt because I plan on doing something different for day 7.

They planned for it every year. Gaara didn’t have the luxury to take off on vacation days whenever he wanted. The Kazekage was always needed for something. But he could use the excuse of a diplomatic meeting to get away from Suna for a bit and visit Konoha. 

Kakashi humoured him and always agreed with whatever excuse that Gaara came up with that he had to discuss something in person. Even when telephones and computers started to become more commonplace, Kakashi always signed off on the days that Gaara picked to travel. Kakashi was a genius, he knew the reason behind the annual visit. After all, Gai always invited him to Lee’s Birthday party too.

Gaara would arrive a day or two before the 27th, get whatever work excuse he chose completed, and then spend the rest of the short visit with Lee. They celebrated with their friends, they celebrated as a family, and they celebrated privately. 

The party had once been a small gathering, just Lee, Gaara, Neji, Tenten, Gai, Kakashi, and Kankuro if he had come along as Gaara’s guard that visit. Then the party started to get bigger. Kakashi’s team joined them to celebrate. Then the other members of the Konoha 11 came along, looking for the excuse to all get together and party. Eventually, as they started to get older and began having children, the party became smaller again. Only those Lee considered family were invited to celebrate; Gaara, Tenten, Gai, Kakashi, Kankuro, Shikamaru, Temari, Shikadai, and Metal. Shinki started to come along too for the yearly visit after Gaara adopted him. 

Lee loved having Gaara in his hometown. He took Gaara to his favorite restaurants and they took long walks together in the woods. Most of the trees were already dormant for the winter, but every now and again they’d find a tree with some red or yellow leaves remaining. Either way, they’d step on the brown, crunchy leaves as they walked together and enjoyed the time in one another’s presence. 

Then they would both return to the diplomatic quarters for a night together. Kankuro would stay over with Temari and Shinki would have a sleepover with Metal to clear out the space. Other nights, Gaara would spend the night in Lee’s bed, feeling at peace knowing that he was surrounded by Lee’s sheets and personal items. 

As more and more of these annual trips occured, Gaara began to make his yearly trips last longer. Naruto had signed off on his travel documents just as easily as Kakashi had. He had even begun to add in excuses to make Gaara’s stay extended too. Not that it was really needed as they all began to get older and he became closer to passing along the Kazekage title. 

Gaara spent time with Metal and Lee took time to be alone with Shinki. They all ate meals together, Kankuro usually joining them, and sometimes they’d go over to Shikamaru’s house or Kakashi’s house for a meal. They were never really lacking for family in Konoha.


	4. Fashion

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Set during the time skip before Gaara becomes the Kazekage.

“Absolutely not!” 

The birds squawked and flew away from the trees. Any squirrels that had been brave enough to scurry around quickly ran off to hide in a convenient hole. Even a few of the other teams around the training ground stopped in their tracks and thought about going elsewhere for the day.

Lee gathered up his courage. “But Tenten--”

“No.” She turned on him, flames in her eyes. “I will not allow it.”

“Tenten, I admire your passion on this subject,” Gai-sensei interjected, hoping to ease the flames. “But I do think Lee should be allowed--”

“Lee shouldn’t even be allowed out in public the way he dresses now.” Tenten huffed, crossing her arms across her chest. “Not that you would understand,” she grumbled, shooting Gai’s clothes the same disdain she had given Lee’s. “I refuse to let Lee wear something of his own choosing to this. It’s too important!”

“I don’t even know why you care so much about what Lee wears. It’s just a stupid dance.” Neji commented.

“It is not a stupid dance! It is the first inter-village ball! After the disaster that was the Chunin exam last year, this is a very important night to the villages, diplomatically of course.” Tenten stated seriously before a gleam sparked in her eye and she glanced at Lee. “Besides, I heard that Gaara was going.”

“Gaara?” Lee grinned, excited at the prospect of seeing his friend again. He caught sight of the look Tenten was giving him and felt his face grow warm. He cleared his throat. “I agree that this would be a wonderful chance to build on some diplomatic relationships.”

“Exactly! This youthful gathering is the perfect chance for us to reach out to others and share our passions through dance and merry making!” Gai-sensei readily agreed, complete with shining teeth and sparkling hair.

“And the best way for Lee to get the chance to actually dance with someone is if he doesn’t go dressed in something that’s a hand me down from Gai-sensei.” Tenten placed her hands on her hips. “It’s bad enough you got a crush on a maniac that doesn’t understand human interactions, yet alone probably doesn’t understand how to have fun.”

Lee’s face was bright red. “Tenten!” He whined. “I told you that in confidence.”

Tenten raised an eyebrow. “What are you saying you only told me about your crush?”

“Well, no, of course I told Gai-sensei.” Lee admitted. “I suppose I should have told Neji too. Neji, my rival, I apologize for not informing you of this information as well. It was not my purpose to leave you out.” Lee bowed at his waist before the Hyuuga.

Neji turned away from Lee’s bow. “I don’t care.”

“Listen, Lee, if you have any hope of gaining Gaara’s attention at the dance you have to look your best.” Tenten pointed a finger in Lee’s face as he straightened up from his bow. “It’s going to be a challenge, but this is one I will not back down from. I promise you that I will do whatever it takes to get you a dance with Gaara.”

Lee and Gai-sensei both looked at her expectantly, hopeful stars waiting in their eyes. Tenten sighed. She reluctantly held up her thumb, striking a lackluster version of the Nice Guy Pose to go with her promise.

She squawked when she was engulfed by two green clad bodies into a very passionate group hug. She cursed Neji as he gracefully ran away when he had the chance, leaving her to console and calm down the energetic members of the team.

_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-

“I don’t know about this, Tenten.” Lee fiddled with the end of his sleeve for the seventh time in the last two minutes. He was unused to the feel of wearing such formal clothes or any clothes that wasn’t his green spandex.

“It’s too late to back out now, Lee. We’ve already traveled all the way here with the others. Besides, I refuse to let you act like a coward now and waste all my hard work. This is the best I’ve ever seen you look!” Tenten smiled reassuringly at him. “Don’t you think so, Neji?”

Neji looked quickly away from Lee. “Whatever,” he mumbled. 

Lee had to admit that Tenten did have a good sense of fashion. He would have never picked out the slim-fitting, white, long sleeve shirt with high collar. Nor the layering of the vests. The first vest, the smaller of the two that hug Lee’s midsection, Tenten had insisted on keeping buttoned. The four black buttons kept the chopped gray vest closed tightly against his ribs. While the other vest, which Tenten had allowed to be green even if it was a darker shade of green than Lee was used to, remained open. Tenten had also picked out a tie for him and although Lee had found a dazzling tie with stars and a plain orange tie, Tenten wouldn’t allow anything other than the simple stripped one of her own choosing. 

Lee had tried to argue about keeping his leg warmers but Tenten had ignored him. The pants she picked out for him were about as tight as his spandex around his backside, but then became looser around his ankles which allowed him to keep his leg weights on underneath the pants. The shoes he wore felt constricting compared to his usual sandals.

Tenten was in a beautiful red dress that flowed like waves every time she moved. Lee personally thought it was a little short, but he knew to keep his opinions about women clothing to himself. Tenten had also picked out an outfit for Neji that was similar to Lee’s except without any color more exciting than dark gray.

“Are you ready to boogie the night away, my students?” Gai-sensei appeared before them, his teeth as dazzling as his bright suit. 

“Gai-sensei, you look amazing!” Lee praised taking in his sensei’s green outfit from head to toe. It was very similar to his usual uniform. Lee thought he looked very stylish although when he turned to his teammates, the two both looked unimpressed.

“Why thank you, Lee! I see Tenten has done a great job with your outfit as well. You look very nice,” Gai-sensei pulled Lee over to the side and crouched down to whisper to him. “Although I did pack a spare of my own outfit if you wish to change before entering the ballroom--”

“Gai-sensei, don’t you dare!” Tenten shouted and quickly pulled Lee away from his beloved sensei. “Come on, Lee, time to make your entry.” She kept a tight grip on Lee as she shoved the doors open and dragged Lee into the giant ballroom.

“But, Tenten, wait, I’m having second thoughts!” Lee panicked as his eyes took in all the different ninja. There were many people he didn’t recognize. Luckily, Tenten was heading over towards a group he did recognize. “Oh, Sakura!” Lee broke out of Tenten’s grip and arrived to the Konoha ninja before her. “You look beautiful!” He complimented, taking in her long gown.

“Thanks, Lee. You look really nice too.” Sakura admitted, looking Lee up and down. 

“Wow, Tenten, you’re a miracle worker. He really does clean up well with a woman’s touch.” Ino chimed in. Lee felt his cheeks heat up.

The group continued to talk amongst themselves, taking in the vast ballroom, and commenting about the other ninja villages around. Despite the music playing, there weren’t a lot of people dancing yet, especially not from Konoha. Kurenai and Asuma had been the first couple to break out from the protective group of their village and brave the dance floor. They were quickly followed by an overeager Gai and a very reluctant Kakashi that looked to be considering chopping off the hand that Gai had a death grip on.

Lee kept glancing around the room, hoping to catch sight of red hair and a familiar, foreboding gourd of sand. 

“Well, well, if it isn’t the ninja of the village hidden in the leaves.” Kankuro approached the group, his usual makeup adoring his face but without his hood. “Don’t you all look nice. Did you take a flea bath before coming here, Kiba?”

“I’d laugh but I’m still in too much shock at seeing you without your ridiculous cat ears.” Kiba held his hands up on the top of his head to indicate the ears he was mocking.

“Um, Kankuro,” Lee interrupted before the two became drawn into their banter. “Is Gaara here?”

Kankuro pointed his thumb over his shoulder. “He’s getting some punch with Temari.” 

“That’s perfect, Lee.” Tenten nudged him from the back. “Go, go, now’s your chance.” She gave him an encouraging grin as she roughly shoved him towards the long table in the back of the room filled with snacks and drinks.

“Should I be concerned?” Kankuro asked her.

“Lee just wants to ask your brother to dance with him.” Tenten waved her hand in the air, trying to swat his concern away like an annoying fly.

“Does he dance like his teacher?” Kankuro eyed Gai dubiously as the man continued to flail around on the dance floor with Kakashi as his captive partner.

Tenten’s smile dropped from her face. “Oh no, I forgot to teach him how to dance!”

Neji placed a comforting hand on Tenten’s shoulder. “It’s too late. Our only hope now is that Gaara might refuse to dance with him.”

Lee had spotted Gaara right away. He had also ran into some other ninja as he had stopped abruptly at the sight of the redhead in a suit. After many apologies, Lee continued on his path up to Gaara.

He cleared his throat. “Good evening, Gaara, Temari.” He greeted the siblings. 

“Lee,” Gaara nodded his head, acknowledging the other. “It’s nice to see you again.” Although it was a fairly common nicety that people often used as a greeting, Lee had the impression that Gaara actually meant it. Lee felt himself swoon.

Temari looked Lee over and a sly smile crossed her face. “Good evening, Lee. My, don’t you look nice. Gaara, I’m going to go make sure Kankuro isn’t causing a fight with that dog ninja.” She quickly excused herself. “You boys have fun.”

“Do you want something to drink?” Gaara motioned to the table behind him.

“Oh, no thank you. Gai-sensei told me to avoid drinking anything here just in case it was spiked.” Lee grinned.

Gaara nodded his head. “I think the punch bowl started off with alcohol in it. That’s why Temari took my drink too.”

Lee felt his nerves get the better of him. Tenten had walked him through some polite conversation starters, such as asking about Gaara’s village, the trip to the ball, the different weather of this village, and so on. But Lee couldn’t hold back his desire any longer. “Gaara, would you do me the honor of dancing with me?” Lee asked, holding his hands up into balled fists before himself as though preparing for a fight rather than a dance.

Gaara blinked slowly. Perhaps Lee’s youth had gotten the better of him since he had practically screamed the request in Gaara’s face. There were quite a few heads turned towards them as well. Other villages might not know about Konoha’s Beautiful Green Wild Beast, but everyone had heard about Gaara of the Desert.

“I’ve never had anyone ask me to dance with them before. I don’t know how to dance.” Gaara admitted.

Lee clenched his fists even tighter, not daring to let his resolve falter. After all, it wasn’t a no! “I could teach you. Or we could wait for a slow dance? Slow dancing is easy! You just hold onto the other and sway from side to side.” 

“That does sound easy,” Gaara agreed. He tilted his head to the side. “Would you consider this a slow song?”

The music had changed while they had been talking. There was no vocalist and instead a purely instrumental tune had filled the air. The mellow tempo sounded like something people would slow dance to. Lee dared a glance away from Gaara to look towards the dance floor. There were couples pressed tightly together, swaying across the floor. There was also a suspicious lack of Gai-sensei.

“Yes,” Lee finally concluded.

“Alright then.” Gaara reached out to take Lee’s hand in his own and started towards the dance floor. Lee’s face went crimson as he let himself be led past their group of friends. He pointedly ignored the hollering and snide comments coming from most of them. It was easy to ignore. He had more important things to focus on, anyways. Such as the soft, warm feeling of Gaara’s skin against his fingers.

Gaara stopped as they arrived at the dance floor and turned to look expectantly at Lee, releasing his hand in the process. “Now what?”

“Well, you just, um, put your hands, I guess they go here, or,” Lee frantically looked around at the other couples. Some had their hands in positions that Lee certainly did not feel comfortable with. Others were holding hands. The most common placements for hands seemed to be hips and shoulders. Gaara seemed to come to that conclusion as well.

“You’re taller, put your hands on my hips.” Gaara commanded as he place his own hands on Lee’s shoulders, stepping closer to him in order to do so. Lee’s hands hovered over Gaara’s hips as nonsensical noise came out of his mouth. He felt like his tie was too tight and choking the life out of him as he became overwhelmed with panic. “Are you going to show me how to dance or what?” Gaara asked, his eyes narrowing slightly with annoyance.

“Right, yes!” Lee finally allowed his hands to settle on Gaara’s hips. The two of them stood on the dance floor like that for a moment before Lee realized that Gaara was waiting to follow his lead. Lee began by taking a small step to his left which Gaara mirrored with his right foot. Lee looked down between them to make sure he wouldn’t step on Gaara’s feet as he took a small step forward and Gaara matched his move with a step backwards. Lee kept moving them around in a small box formation.

When he glanced back up, he met Gaara’s eyes. Gaara had a very direct stare focused purely on Lee. Lee smiled but looked away, unable to meet Gaara’s intense gaze when they were in such close proximity. “Thank you,” Lee finally murmured to break the silence between them.

“You’d better not still be thanking me for that fight with Kimimaro. You already thanked me an abundant amount of times afterwards while I was still in Konoha.” Gaara grumbled.

“No, no, it is not for that.” Lee hastily soothed. “I was thanking you for agreeing to dance with me.” Lee explained.

Gaara was quite for a moment, allowing them to both just slowly turn and move to the music. “Why wouldn’t I dance with you? I’ve been told that friends often dance with each other.”

“Well not everyone likes to dance.” Lee began. “Also, dancing sometimes can be, well it does not have to be, but it can be romantic, especially if people dance closely like we are.” Lee admitted, the blush that had started to ebb away from his face quickly returning. “But that does not mean we have to be dancing as anything more than just friends.” He was quick to assure.

Gaara was quiet again and Lee kept glancing at his face before looking away. He couldn’t read any sort of emotion from Gaara’s blank expression. “Did you mean for this to mean more than just friends dancing?”

“Well, yes,” Lee admitted. “But not if you do not want it to be!”

“It can mean more,” Gaara decided. 

Lee stopped dead in his tracks which caused Gaara to stop as well. “The song isn’t over, Lee.” Gaara pointed out as if that would trigger Lee to continue dancing. 

“I do not think you understand. I like you, Gaara, romantically.” Lee stressed.

“I’m aware.” Gaara stated. “You were very obvious about it when I was last in Konoha. At first I just thought you really wanted to be my friend, but you were even more friendly with me than you were with your other friends. Kankuro and Temari explained to me what that could mean once we were back in Suna. They were worried that I would become upset with you.” Gaara’s brow creased as he frowned. “But that only confused me more. Why would I be upset that you like me romantically? That doesn’t strike me as something to get upset about. I either return your feelings or I don’t.”

Lee waited but Gaara had apparently finished his thoughts. “Do you?” Lee asked, elaborating more when he met Gaara’s eyes. “That is, do you return my feelings?”

“I’m not sure.” Gaara replied honestly. “But I do like being around you. When I returned to Suna, I thought about you often. I started to wonder what you would say to certain things as I went about my day. I also like dancing with you and being this close to you. You’re the first person besides my siblings and Naruto that doesn’t mind touching me or being touched by me.” Gaara looked over Lee’s shoulders at their group of friends. “I also think you’re the only one that is brave enough to think of me romantically, even after what I did to you during the Chunin exams.”

“You aren’t like that anymore.” Lee pointed out.

“No, I’m not. I don’t live just for myself anymore. I’m starting to form bonds with others. I’m still new to all of this though.” Gaara considered his words for a moment before continuing. “But I like the idea of forming a bond like that with you.”

Lee couldn’t contain his excitement at the words and he lifted Gaara up in the air by his hips and spun around in a circle as his joy overwhelmed him. “Oh, Gaara, you have made me so happy by saying that.”

“Is this another kind of dance?” Gaara asked, stabilizing himself by using his arms on Lee’s shoulders since his feet no longer touched the floor.

“Sorry,” Lee placed Gaara carefully back on the floor. “Would you like to continue dancing still?”

“We already danced to three different songs.” Gaara pointed out.

“Oh, I had not noticed.” Lee admitted, his smile still shining brightly on his face.

“We can dance again later. Come on,” Gaara grabbed Lee’s hand again, this time leading him off of the dance floor. They passed by the Konoha and Suna ninjas, which had seemed to merge groups. Gai-sensei had tears streaming from his eyes as Kakashi gently patted him on the back. Tenten was giving him a brilliant thumbs up. Neji wasn’t looking at him but Lee didn’t let that affect his good mood. Nothing really could affect his mood as Gaara led Lee out of the ballroom.

Lee grinned and happily followed after him. As they walked, Gaara happened to mention, “You look good in a suit, Lee.” It was one of the happiest nights of Lee’s life.

_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-

Tenten sighed and patted Lee’s back in a comforting manner as he cried. “Well what did you expect to happen? Those clothes weren’t made for a work out, Lee.”

“But Gaara liked how I looked in this suit!” Lee continued to sob over the tatter remains of his clothes.

Tenten rubbed at her temples. “Lee, I can’t believe I’m saying this, but please just put your green jumpsuit back on so we can train.”


	5. Favorite Fight

“..and that’s the first time Gaara and I met!” Lee finished the tale with a wide grin. “We were filled with such youth back then.” He stated with a wistful look as he turned to face Gaara.

Gaara hesitated for a moment before reaching over the table to place his hands overtop of Lee’s with a small smile. “It probably isn’t the romantic tale you boys were hoping to hear.”

Shinki and Metal were both staring at them with wide eyes. They glanced at each other before either of them dared to speak. Metal found his words first. “Dad, that’s a terrible story.” He stated.

“It gets worse before it gets better.” Gaara admitted. “I went to the hospital while he was still unconscious and tried to kill him. Your Uncle Shikamaru and Naruto stopped me though.”

“But then Gaara became my ally and fought with me to take down a ninja named Kimimaro and his wicked kekkei genkai! Although, I was still recovering at the time from surgery so I wasn’t at my best.” Lee quickly added. 

“Our fight was nothing compared to that story.” Shinki frowned as he looked from Metal to Gaara. “I guess I’m not as hopeless as I thought, not if you tried to murder him and then years later end up together.”

“It was one of the most thrilling fights of my life!” Lee grinned, turning his hand to hold Gaara’s in his own. “I have enjoyed all the chances when I’ve been fighting with Gaara instead of against him. But it’s still nice to spar too.”

Shinki sighed. “I’m really not the craziest one in the family.”

“Of course not,” Gaara agreed. “That title belongs to your pseudo grandfather.” 

“Hey!” Lee smacked the table with his free hand. “Gaara, what have I said about insulting Gai-sensei?”

“Whatever do you mean, Lee? I didn’t say I was talking about him, did I?” Gaara played off innocently. “Perhaps I was simply insulting the Rokudaime.”

“I know you far too well, Gaara!” Lee insisted, not falling for the act.

“This is the true fight,” Metal whispered to Shinki.


	6. Determination and Angst

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was my favorite fic to write because I love angst! So I went for the old lost memory trope. Anyways, while writing this fic, I decided I would post this fic again, separately, on AO3 and change it as well to include a sex scene and a bonus happy ending. This fic here does NOT CONTAIN SEX and DOES NOT CONTAIN A HAPPY ENDING. Enjoy reading!~

He heard voices outside the room. He wasn’t sure if they knew he was awake. He felt like he should say something, but he didn’t recognize the hushed voices. He didn’t want to call out and disturb their conversation, especially because he didn’t know what he would say to them. He felt like he didn’t know anything.

The door slid open and he stared at the other standing in the doorway. His first thought was that they looked tired. He wanted to offer them the bed he was in. Instead, he smiled.

“Hello,” he greeted.

The man approached his bed. “Do you know who I am?”

He opened his mouth but then closed it. He shook his head. “Sorry, I do not. Have we met before?”

The man ignored his question and asked another one instead. “Do you know who you are?”

Again, he opened his mouth, ready to answer, but had to close it when he realized he did not know the answer after all. “No,” this time his voice showed his confusion and his worries. “I do not. I do not know who I am.”

The man turned away from him then to glare at the other in the doorway. “It’s the same thing every day. He isn’t getting better.”

“We just have to be patient. You heard what the Lady Hokage said.” The other man came out from the doorway and stepped closer into the room. This man sat on the edge of the bed without a second thought. As he sat, he reached out to pat his thigh still under the bed sheet. “Good morning,” this man’s smile seemed as bright as the sun. “Your name is Rock Lee and I am your teacher Maito Gai. This is your husband, Gaara. You were in an accident recently that made you forget all of your memories.”

“You’re going to overwhelm him,” Gaara hissed at Gai.

“My name is Rock?” He asked, his face scrunching up. “That doesn’t sound right.”

“You mostly go by Lee.” Gaara explained.

Lee nodded slowly. That sounded better to him. He glanced at Gai and Gaara. “Can,” he licked his lips for a moment. “Can I use the bathroom?”

They allowed him to get up and showed him the bathroom before leaving him alone. Lee really did need to use the bathroom, but once his bodily functions were taken cared of, he sat down on the floor and held his head in between his hands. He could vaguely feel where his head was sore and figured that must have been the source of his recent injury. Otherwise, all he felt was panic and his heart trying to beat out of his chest.

When he finally calmed down again, he stood up on shaky legs and grabbed onto the sink for support. He splashed his face with water to wipe away the tears and then met his reflection. He looked a lot like Gai. But he had rounder eyes and his eyelashes were different too. He wondered what Gaara saw in him to agree to marry him because it certainly couldn’t have been his looks. He also took in the fact that his body was muscular, but also covered with scars, especially on his left arm and leg.

He exited the bathroom and walked down the small hallway to where he could hear noise. He could see that Gai was cooking in the kitchen but Gaara was already seated in the living room. Gaara was staring at him.

Lee smiled reflexively as he moved towards him. “Does he need help cooking?” Lee asked after a particularly loud crash.

“I’m fine, breakfast will be finished shortly!” Gai called out.

Lee sat down next to Gaara at the low table. Gaara was still silently staring at him. Lee looked around the living room, taking in the different weights, the small bookshelf filled with books on taijutsu, and the other sparse items around. 

“Breakfast is served!” Gai emerged from the kitchen with three steaming bowls. He set the bowls down before everyone at the table and Lee wondered what had been so complicated in making oatmeal. Gai quickly began to eat and Lee followed suit. After his first bite, Lee’s mouth felt like it was on fire, not from the temperature but from something else.

“What,” Lee coughed a little, “What is in this? It’s delicious!” He began to eat his oatmeal quicker.

“It’s my special five spice oatmeal! Guaranteed to put a pep in your step and start you off with a fire burning in your gut for a full day of youthful activities!” Gai exclaimed happily. “Although I did leave out four spices in Gaara’s bowl and only put in some cinnamon, as requested.”

Gaara finally picked up his own bowl and began to eat. 

When they finished the meal, Gai turned to Lee. “So, I bet you’re brimming with questions.”

“Yes,” Lee agreed.

“Go on, ask away! There isn’t anything that Gaara or I can’t answer about you, Lee. We know you better than anyone else!” Gai declared.

“Are you my dad?” Lee asked.

Tears began to brim in Gai’s eyes. “You are as precious to me as a son, but alas, we are not blood related. No, instead we share the bond of student and teacher! I guide you in your training to become a great shinobi and each day I see you become closer and closer to achieving your goal. It fills my heart with fatherly pride!”

Lee’s own eyes began to prickle at Gai’s touching words. “I just thought, well, we look very similar.”

“Your real parents are dead. They died when you were very little. You have a cousin but the two of you don’t speak often. Gai is your next-of-kin on all your paperwork. He’s practically your father in every way except blood.” Gaara added. “I had to ask him for permission to marry you.”

Lee smiled. “And how long have we been married?”

“I declared us married five years ago and that was good enough for me.” Gaara explained, “But we had the wedding ceremony seven months ago.”

“Oh,” Lee frowned, trying to make sense of Gaara’s statements.

“Gaara is the Kazekage, the leader of his village. When he declared that the two of you were married, that was an official statement of office so you two were married by law of Suna.” Gai clarified. “But seven months ago we had a ceremony here in Konoha to make you two officially married by our own law.”

“We’re from different villages?” Lee wondered aloud. “How does that work if we’re married? I mean, how do we keep in touch? Is Suna nearby?”

“Our villages are nearly 1,845 miles apart. It usually takes most shinobi almost three days of travel to get between the villages. Your record is one day and fifteen hours, but that’s without opening any gates.” Gaara glanced at Gai. “You’re just extremely fast, even by Shinobi standards.”

“So I just run between our villages a lot?” Lee frowned.

“No, you have responsibilities and missions to complete just like I do. In reality we don’t see each other nearly as often as I would like. But you were liaison to my village for a few years and you still have priority to take missions that are by my village or a joint effort between our villages.” Gaara continued. “For a while we argued about you moving to Suna permanently, like my sister did when she married, but you didn’t want to be apart from your sensei forever.” Gaara’s eyes narrowed slightly and Gai slapped the table.

“But the two of you preserve through the distance! No matter how far apart, your love for one another holds true. Besides, since our villages are allied, we do have numerous joint mission efforts which allow the two of you to see one another at least five times a year, if not more. Also, you two exchange letters frequently as well.” Gai exclaimed.

“And the very lack of a letter is what alerted me about Lee’s last injury and this current predicament.” Gaara snarled.

Gai’s smile faltered slightly. “Lady Tsunade felt that a carefully worded letter from herself was the best way to contact you about the situation. She is not always the quickest writer and she didn’t want to--”

“She didn’t want me to act on my emotions and irrationally declare war because of my husband’s extreme injury. But I wouldn’t. I know Lee and I know his typical behavior. I don’t hold what happened against the village. I hold it against him, because once again, he was the one that recklessly threw himself into danger and got an unnecessary injury.” Gaara crossed his arms over his chest. 

“Lee is a great shinobi and teammate.” Gai stated seriously. “He always considers--”

“His teammates’ safety above his own with a sense of reckless abandon. I’m aware that he would die in order to protect others. I don’t agree with it, we’ve argued about it before, it obviously doesn’t matter since none of those arguments changed the outcome that we’re currently at.” Gaara glared at Lee.

“I’m sorry,” Lee quickly apologized when that gaze fell on him.

“You don’t even know what you’re apologizing for.” Gaara stood up, grabbing the dishes from the table, as he went into the kitchen. A moment later Lee could hear the faucet turn on.

“He’s been very worried about you and he usually expresses that concern through anger.” Gai whispered to Lee, even though his whisper still seemed pretty loud. “He’s only angry because of how much he cares and loves you.” Gai reached out to rest a comforting hand on Lee’s shoulder. “Don’t worry about him; your husband is stronger than most shinobi I know. He’ll be alright. You just need to focus on yourself and getting better!”

“How can I get better?” Lee asked. “I’ll do anything I have to in order to get my memories back.”

“That’s my Lee! That fighting spirit will guide you to recovery!” Gai grinned. 

“There isn’t a cure. There’s nothing you can do to just magically get your memories back.” Gaara interrupted as he reappeared from the kitchen. “Your hokage is a renown healer and even she couldn’t fix what was wrong with your head. She said either your memories would come back, or they wouldn’t.”

“There has to be something I can do to remember everything again!” Lee held up a fist determinedly. “I refuse to just sit around and wait for something to happen.”

“We’ve had this conversation already. We’ve had this conversation every day since you’ve been cleared from the hospital. Nothing changes. You forget everything, over and over again.” Gaara turned away from Lee to look out of the window. “I have to go back to my village soon. I’ve spent too much time away already.”

“You can count on me to take care of Lee in your absence!” Gai exclaimed. “I’ll have him back to his full youthful self in no time!” Gai stood up and dramatically stuck out his thumb. Lee watched in awe as his thumb, teeth, and hair seemed to sparkle.

Gaara slowly moved to stand in front of the window. “I want Lee to come with me, but I know that doesn’t make any sense. Most of his memories are here, in his home village. Besides, Tsunade is here and if there is a cure, she’ll be the one to find it. But I,” Gaara paused for a moment before he looked over his shoulder. Lee felt his heart clench at the vulnerable expression on Gaara’s face. “I don’t want you to forget me, Lee.” 

“I won’t!” Lee jumped onto his feet and quickly approached Gaara. “You’re my husband; you’re important to me. I won’t forget you!”

“Don’t promise me that, not when you can’t keep your promise.” Gaara kept his body turned away from Lee but his eyes were focused on Lee’s face. “You wake up every morning and you’ve forgotten. Once I leave, I won’t even be a memory to you. I’d only be a name to you and a title that no longer carries a real connection.”

Lee frowned and looked around the living room space. “Do I have a photograph of us together? Surely someone took a picture of us during our wedding ceremony as a keepsake. I can have that next to my bed. I’ll wake up every morning and see your photo and then Gai-sensei can tell me all about my wonderful husband.”

Gaara slowly turned away from Lee. “Maybe it’ll be better if you just forgot me.”

“Do not say that! That is quitter talk. There is no reason to quit. I am still alive and you are still alive so we can continue to live out our dreams together.” Lee smiled. “Do not give up on me yet, Gaara, for I am determined to get my memories back!”

Gaara glanced at Lee out of the corner of his eye. “Alright, what do you propose we do first then?”

“Well, if this is my home village, then maybe it is for the best that I walk around and see if any place helps me remember something.” Lee suggested.

“A great idea!” Gai piped up from the table. “Not only will walking around get your body moving and your blood pumping, but it will certainly help you take pride in the beauty of our village and help you remember what we fight to protect!”

“Then let us go!” Lee cheered.

_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-

Walking around the village didn’t help. Gai pointed out many different places and told tales about why that spot was special to Lee but he couldn’t remember any of the events. Even worse, there were many people that approached the group and asked after Lee’s memory, only for Lee not to recognize any of them. He felt terrible that he didn’t know any of his former friends, teammates, or other people that had been important to him. 

It only seemed to make Gaara feel worse too. He hung behind them as a silent shadow for most of the day. There were a few ninja that attempted to talk with him, such as Gaara’s sister and another blonde named Naruto. But otherwise Gaara remained rather detached from the day’s events.

They began heading back to Lee’s home when another ninja had joined them. Lee didn’t understand why a ninja that was reading some, apparently explicit, porn would be someone that joined their group so easily, but Gai-sensei really seemed to like this other ninja. Lee trusted Gai-sensei’s judgement.

“Go home,” Gaara stated to the other two ninjas. “I’ll take care of dinner tonight.”

“Gaara, I can--” Gai began only for Gaara to interrupt him.

“Go home. You haven’t left Lee’s side in a week. Take tonight off. You’ll be in charge of Lee’s care starting tomorrow, but tonight he’s my husband and I’m telling you to leave us alone for dinner.” Gaara stated.

“He’s right, Gai.” Kakashi piped up from his porn.

“Alright,” Gai embraced Lee in his manly arms. This had not been the first embrace of the day and Lee was quickly becoming accustomed to his teacher’s physical affection. “Have a good night, my precious student. I will see you tomorrow morning!”

“Good night, Gai-sensei!” Lee waved as he watched the two older ninjas take to the rooftops. Gaara grabbed Lee’s other hand and began to lead him back home. 

Lee’s face heated but he smiled. Despite his teacher being so physically affection, his husband had refrained from touching him all day. The simple act of holding his hand now made Lee’s heart fill with joy.

When they returned home, Gaara took out some groceries they had apparently bought the other day and began to prep a meal. He instructed Lee to chop some vegetables as he added ingredients into a pot. While they cooked together, Lee asked Gaara questions to get to know him better. He relearned Gaara’s favorite color, how they had begun dating, what Gaara’s village was like, the name of Gaara’s brother, and the fact that his husband was a human host for a destructive demon. It was an enlightening mealtime.

As they finished dinner, Gaara explained how he was an outcast as a child and turned into a murderous monster that had lived only for himself. “But then I was shown that there was more to life by Naruto. He helped me understand that it was better to live for others and to have bonds. I connected with my siblings then my village began to trust me. And then you came along and you showed me the most important bond of all. You showed me what it really meant to be loved.”

Gaara turned his body to face Lee as they sat side by side. “I miss you, Lee. I know you’re right here in front of me, but it’s not the same. I want you back, Lee, I need you. Please, I need you to get better.”

Lee pulled Gaara against himself, forcing an embrace on the other man so that he no longer had to stare heartbreak in the face. “I am so sorry, Gaara. I will do my best to get better. I will try my hardest to remember everything you told me today. Even after just one day with you, I already feel like I love you, but I want to remember how much I truly do love you.”

“Lee,” Gaara pulled back slightly only to press his lips against Lee’s own. Lee knew it wasn’t really his first kiss, but it felt like it was.

Gaara knew how to kiss and Lee followed his lead, mimicking the way Gaara moved his mouth and then how he moved his tongue. It was odd to re-taste the flavors of the dinner he had just finished eating on someone else’s tongue. But it felt so good to run his fingers through Gaara’s hair and hold the other man close to him as they kissed. Gaara’s own hands were already running over Lee’s body, leaving trails of heat over the skin he covered.

Gaara was the one to break the kiss. He slowly pulled back but only to stand up and drag Lee to his feet as well. Lee wordlessly followed Gaara into his bedroom. 

_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-

He heard voices outside the room. He wasn’t sure if they knew he was awake. He felt like he should say something, but he didn’t recognize the hushed voices. He didn’t want to call out and disturb their conversation, especially because he didn’t know what he would say to them. He felt like he didn’t know anything.

The door slid open and he stared at the other standing in the doorway. His first thought was that they looked tired. He wanted to offer them the bed he was in. Instead, he smiled.

“Hello,” he greeted.

The man approached his bed. “Do you know who I am?”

He opened his mouth but then closed it. He shook his head. “Sorry, I do not. Have we met before?”

The man stared at him before shaking his head. “No, don’t worry about it.” The man turned back around and stepped outside of the room. “Take care of him for me. Let me know if anything does change.”

“Of course,” the other man in the hallway quickly agreed. “Are you sure that you can’t--”

“No, I have to return to my village now.” Green eyes glanced back into the room one last time. Then the man left.

“Will he be alright?” He asked from his bed. “He looked very sad.”

“He’ll get better when you get better.” This man sat on the edge of the bed without a second thought. As he sat, he reached out to pat his thigh still under the bed sheet. “Good morning,” this man’s smile seemed as bright as the sun. “Your name is Rock Lee and I am your teacher Maito Gai. You were in an accident recently that made you forget all of your memories.”


	7. Family

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I decided to stick to the family prompt after all.

“Congratulations, he’s a strong, healthy boy.” The nurse informed with a smile as she handed the bundle over.

“Just like his papa!” Gai exclaimed happily, tears already spilling from his eyes.

“Papa,” Lee formed the word slowly. A proud smile crossing his face as he looked down into the bundle in his arms. “I’m a papa.”

“What name did you decide on, Lee?” Tenten asked as she leaned over to look at the baby’s face.

“My boy is going to be even tougher and stronger than me.” Lee had been considering the name for a while. “He is Metal Lee.”


End file.
